All Articles: Crash Bandicoot

The NPD Group shares list of best-selling games on PS4, Xbox One, and Vita… also the Saturn, PS1, N64, GBC, and Dreamcast

Posted on November 8, 2018 by John Scalzo

The NPD Group has never been too keen on sharing their historical lists of best-selling games, but that might be changing. Using data from the analyst firm’s vast archive, Mat Piscatella recently tried to pull back the curtain a little bit by sharing the list of best-selling games on several legacy consoles (the Saturn, the original PlayStation, the Nintendo 64, the Game Boy Color, and the Dreamcast) and a nearly defunct handheld (the Vita). He also examined the best-selling games through September 2018 on two modern consoles (the PS4 and Xbox One) and published a list of the top-selling titles for each year from 1995 to 2017.

It’s a very interesting collection of information, and the lists provide our best window yet into what games were considered popular in the United States in the 1990s and into today. (more…)

Posted in News, PS4, Retro, Vita, Xbox One | Tagged , , , ,

Spider-Man swings into view as the best-selling game from September 2018 (and the biggest PlayStation-exclusive launch ever)

Posted on October 24, 2018 by John Scalzo

Spider-Man, Spider-Man, sells much better than 2K can… Look out! Here comes the Spider-Man!

Insomniac’s Spider-Man was already swinging pretty high prior to its September 7th launch, but according to The NPD Group (via GamesIndustry.biz) the superhero game is also the best-selling game of last month and the biggest PlayStation-exclusive launch ever. Oh, and it also performed 37% better than “the combined launch month sales for all other Spider-Man games released since 1995.”

Wow.

Spider-Man trounced the competition in September, beating out a ton of new releases in the top ten including NBA 2K19 (#2), Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey (#3), FIFA 19 (#4), Shadow of the Tomb Raider (#5), Forza Horizon 4 (#7), Super Mario Party (#9), and NHL 19 (#10).

Below the top ten, several popular titles continued to prove their resiliency. Grand Theft Auto V (#13), Mario Kart 8 (#14), and Minecraft (#20) have all been hanging around the top of the charts for the last four years, and their new-generation re-releases have likely cemented their spot among the best-sellers for another four.

But you can find the full list of last month’s best-selling games after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Square Enix’s Octopath Traveler was the best-selling game in July 2018

Posted on August 23, 2018 by John Scalzo

It would have been amusing if Square Enix’s Octopath Traveler took the #8 spot in The NPD Group’s monthly report of best-selling games (as reported by GamesIndustry.biz). But instead, the retro-styled RPG smashed expectations and landed in the top spot for the preceding four-week period. That means the publisher is likely less amused and more amazed.

Nintendo Switch exclusives dominated the list of best-selling games last month, with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (#3), The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (#5), Super Mario Odyssey (#7), and Mario Tennis Aces (#10) all cracking the top ten. The recent Switch launch of Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy (#9) also likely accounted for its rise in the rankings (the game is also available for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One).

The Switch was also the best-selling console in July, the first time that’s happened since December 2017.

You can find out how the rest of the top ten shook out, with a quick rundown of the remainder of July 2018’s best-selling games, after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Nintendo scored both the best-selling game (Mario Tennis Aces) and console (NES Classic) of June 2018

Posted on August 2, 2018 by John Scalzo

Nintendo can lay claim to the top-selling console in June 2018… but it wasn’t the Nintendo Switch. Instead, it looks like the relaunched NES Classic was the month’s best-selling console.

However, that’s not to say that the PS4, Xbox One, and Switch (as well as the Super NES Classic and 3DS) were slouching. According to the NPD Group (via GamesIndustry.biz), the three major consoles, both of Nintendo’s retro microconsoles, and the 3DS created a 52% increase in overall hardware sales versus June 2017.

All told, the game industry tallied $1.1 billion in sales in June, which was good for a 25% year-over-year increase.

June is typically a slow month for new releases, and that was reflected in the NPD’s companion report on best-selling games. Mario Tennis Aces was the top-selling game during the month, with The Crew 2 (#4), and Lego The Incredibles (#7) also breaking into the top ten. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy‘s debut on the PC, Switch, and Xbox One also helped it re-enter the list at #9.

A quick rundown of the remainder of June 2018’s best-selling games can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4, Retro, Switch, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Wolfenstein II, Crash Bandicoot Trilogy, Inside, more coming to Nintendo eShop this week

Posted on June 28, 2018 by John Scalzo

Nostalgia, Nazis, and a few side-scrollers make this week’s Nintendo eShop update an interesting place to be…

Bethesda’s Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus will make its way to the Switch this week, and players will get the chance to help BJ Blazkowicz kick a little Nazi ass on American soil this time around.

Also available to download this week for the Switch is Activision’s Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, which brings the first three games from the franchise (Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, and Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped) together in a single package.

Playdead will also make its Switch debut this week as the developer will bring their award-winning pair of puzzle-platformers (Inside and Limbo) to Nintendo’s newest console.

And speaking of side-scrollers, 13AM Games’s wildly colorful runner, Runbow, will also arrive on the Switch this week.

You can learn more about the rest of this week’s additions to the Nintendo eShop (including MotoGP 18, The Journey Down: Chapter Two, Waking Violet, and more) after the break. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, News, Switch | Tagged , , , ,

New Retail Releases: The Crew 2, Crash Bandicoot Trilogy, Wolfenstein II, More

Posted on June 25, 2018 by John Scalzo

Ubisoft is racing for the horizon this week as The Crew 2 brings its cross-country race to the PS4 and Xbox One this week. This time around, the franchise’s vehicular options have expanded to include “exotic cars, bikes, planes, and boats,” and players will be able to travel where their heart takes them all across the United States.

But it’s possible that the open world racing game will be overshadowed by a big batch of re-releases this week, including the Switch and Xbox One debut for Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy. In addition to giving players the chance to relive Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, and Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped on modern platforms, the N. Sane Trilogy now includes two never-before-seen bonus levels (“Stormy Ascent” and “Future Tense”).

Three other games will also be making their Switch debut this week including Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Bethesda’s alternate history shooter sequel; Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, the newest entry in Falcom’s long-running Action RPG series; and Brawlout, a Smash-like party fighter from Angry Mob Games.

And finally this week, Aksys Games will bring Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk, a “suspense-filled” visual novel about a mysterious young woman, to the Vita.

That’s all for now, but we’ll be back later this week with a look at all the new additions to the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.

Posted in News, PS4, Switch, Xbox One | Tagged , , , , ,

PAX East 2018 attendees will be able to play Dark Souls, No More Heroes, The Messenger, many more at Nintendo’s booth

Posted on March 31, 2018 by John Scalzo

Nintendo always has a big presence at PAX East, and this year’s show will be no different. The consolemaker has announced plans to bring several highly-anticipated games to Boston, including Dark Souls Remastered, No More Heroes: Travis Strikes Again, and Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition…

Playable Demos at Nintendo’s PAX East 2018 Booth

  • Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Nintendo)
  • Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition (Nintendo)
  • Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido* (Nintendo)
  • Dark Souls Remastered* (Bandai Namco Entertainment)
  • Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus* (Bethesda Softworks)
  • No More Heroes: Travis Strikes Again* (Grasshopper Manufacture and Suda51)
  • SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy* (NIS America)
  • Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy* (Activision)

* Playable by the Public for the First Time

Nintendo will also play host to a Nindies Arcade at its booth, giving players their first chance to try out a few games that debuted during the Nindie Showcas on March 20. The full Nindies Arcade lineup includes…

Playable Demos in Nindies Arcade at Nintendo’s PAX East 2018 Booth

  • Just Shapes & Beats* (Berzerk Studio)
  • Dead Cells* (Motion Twin)
  • The Messenger* (Sabotage and Devolver Digital)
  • Lumines Remastered* (Enhance Games)
  • Runner 3 (Choice Provisions)
  • West of Loathing* (Asymmetric)
  • Pool Panic (Adult Swim Games)
  • Pode (Henchman & Goon)
  • Garage* (TinyBuild Games)
  • Next Up Hero (Aspyr Media and Digital Continue)

* Playable by the Public for the First Time

PAX East 2018 takes place next week, April 5th through the 8th, at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy will leap onto the PC, Xbox One, and Switch on July 10

Posted on March 8, 2018 by John Scalzo

A man in a Crash Bandicoot costume once stood outside Nintendo of America’s headquarters with a bullhorn to promote the release of Crash Bandicoot on the PSone (and gloat that it wasn’t available for the Nintendo 64). But it looks like Crash’s original adventure will finally make its way to a Nintendo platform this year, as Activision has announced that the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy will be released for the Switch on July 10.

First unveiled during today’s Nintendo Direct presentation, Activision later confirmed that the N. Sane Trilogy will also be available for the PC and Xbox One on the same date. In addition to the original Crash Bandicoot, the compilation will also include Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back and Crash Bandicoot: Warped.

A new trailer for the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy has been embedded above.

Posted in News, PC, Switch, Xbox One | Tagged , ,